


5 Times Steve Said He Loved Clint and 1 Time Clint Said It

by EarthsSassiestHeroes



Series: Amerihawk: 5 Times [2]
Category: The Avengers (2012)
Genre: Angry Couslon, M/M, Major Character Injury
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-01
Updated: 2013-06-01
Packaged: 2017-12-13 16:12:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,360
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/826226
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EarthsSassiestHeroes/pseuds/EarthsSassiestHeroes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A follow up to 5 Times People Told Clint "I'm Sorry" and 1 Time They Didn't. Steve loves Clint but Clint isn't sure he is ready to say it just yet.</p>
            </blockquote>





	5 Times Steve Said He Loved Clint and 1 Time Clint Said It

_The time Clint was never meant to hear_

 

Things had moved slowly between Clint’s trust issues and Steve’s somewhat old fashioned take on things. But Clint felt happy again. He got that light floating feeling he’d had when he’d been with Phil. All Steve had to do was smile at him and Clint was grinning like a fool. They’d kept hush hush about it but not actively tried to keep it from the rest of the team. They agreed that when someone asked about them they would tell the truth. But neither of them had felt the need for some big family meeting style coming out.

Nat figured it out within a few days of the kiss on her own. She’d cornered Steve and after brief threats of skinning him alive if he hurt Clint, she’d hugged him suddenly. Bruce had found them watching a movie in the common room sitting closer than usual, Steve’s arm around Clint’s shoulders. and given them a knowing smile. Tony tried to give Steve “the talk” after noticing Clint winking at Steve one day in the kitchen. Thor had caught them making out in the locker room one night when they thought everyone else was in bed. He had smiled broadly and simply said “So this is what the others were talking of when I walked in and they fell silent earlier! Carry on my friends!” They had both stared slack jawed before making a swift and slightly embarrassed exit.

 

The first time Clint heard Steve use the word love in reference to him was a day like any other. It was 2 months after they had kissed at the top of Stark Tower. Clint was at headquarters for a meeting with Maria to give a second opinion on a new tactical training seminar she was preparing. He walked past Phil’s office and for the first time in several months didn’t feel his stomach drop. He was smiling to himself contentedly with knowing how he was doing so well when he heard yelling.

“What the FUCK Rogers?” It was Phil’s voice. Phil was never one to yell. When he was angry it was almost always conveyed with stern authority and a well practiced glare. Clint stopped dead in his tracks and slowly moved back towards the slightly ajar door to Phil’s office. He was never one to bust in on someone let alone when it was his ex and current love interest having some sort of spat.

“I’d appreciate if you could not yell Couslon,” Steve said quietly. His voice was tense but diplomatic.

“And I would appreciate it if you weren’t FUCKING Clint!” Phil snarled in a stage whisper that was still highly audible.

“I never said... Coulson I don’t care to discuss the details of what goes on between he and I in private.” Steve said tersely.

“We work for a shadowy organization of spies, assassins and super heroes, there is no such thing as ‘private’” The air quotes evident from Phil’s mocking tone.

Steve sighed in frustration. “Phil, I think you forfeit any right to having an opinion when you tore his still beating heart from his chest.” Steve’s voice was poisonous in a way Clint had never heard him before. There was a long painful silence as Clint listened waiting for a sign either one was moving to leave so he could make a swift escape.

“Do you love him?” Phil asked quiet resignation in his voice.

“I love him in a way I never thought I’d love anyone ever again Phil,” Steve said with that tone he used when he knew something with true and absolute certainty. Clint had to make a conscious effort to keep a loud gasp from escaping his lips. Did Steve actually just say that? His mind was swirling with a combination of fear, shock and the sudden urge to swoon and call Natasha. Clint was broken from his own thoughts when he heard Phil speak.

“Then don’t make the same mistake I did Rogers,” his voice full of resignation and tinged with guilt. Clint could hear chairs sliding on the floor and quickly jogged off and around a corner not wanting to be caught eavesdropping by either of them.

 

_The time Clint said it didn’t count_

 

Clint is going down on Steve for the first time. Steve is panting and whimpering under the attention of Clint’s mouth. It’s been 2 and a half months since their first kiss. Clint never mentioned that he’d overheard Phil and Steve’s conversation about him. He isn’t sure he is ready to have the conversation that would result from the confession. It’s the farthest thing from his mind as he works Steve into a fervor. Clint is only goaded on by the increasingly erotic noises that come from Steve’s mouth. The feeling of Steve’s big hands on the back of his neck, running through his hair. The gentle pushing and shoving. The way Steve’s breath hitches suddenly when Clint swirls his tongue over a spot which he has now memorized for future reference.

“Clint, I’m cumming,” Steve grunts as his entire body tenses, becoming one long plain of rigid muscle. Clint only moans his approval. “Clint! Oh god you feel so good! Oh god! Oh god! Clin..I love you!” Steve gasps as he reaches his climax.

Clint is deciding whether or not to ignore the statement as he sits back on his heels and wipes his mouth with the back of his hand. Looking up at Steve who in the span of 10 seconds transitions from a post orgasam haze to a look of sheer terror.

“I’m so...” Steve sputters seemingly at a loss for words his face turning a dark shade of red.

“It’s cool Steve. Besides, doesn’t count when you say it during sex.” Clint’s tone an attempt at reassuring.

“OK...” Steve says with uncertainty trying to gauge whether he has upset Clint with the statement. “So everything’s good then?”

“Well aside from the fact after all that I may or may not have the worst case of blue balls ever, everything is fantastic!” Clint said smiling as Steve leaned forward kissing him gently. Snaking his fingers through Clint’s hair.

 

_The time Clint didn’t hear_

 

They’d been laying on Steve’s bed watching a documentary about the conflict’s in the Middle East and international involvement in the region in the past 25 years. Steve was propped up against the headboard, his arm wrapped around Clint whose head was laying on his chest. One of his hands lay gently across Steve’s shirt.

As the credit’s rolled Steve spoke softly looking off at the TV rather then down at Clint afraid he’d lose his nerve. “Clint I know you might not be at the same place I am. And I know you’ve been through a lifetime of people hurting you. I know you’ve got trust issues. And I know that you’re still probably not at a place where you are ready to think in terms like this. But I love you. Or rather I’m in love with you. You don’t need to say it back. I get that you might not be at the same place I am. And I’m willing to wait. You’re worth waiting for.” Steve waited and as he waited he felt his stomach drop with every passing second. When he looked down to gauge Clint’s reaction, he realized he was sleeping. Gently pressed up against Steve a dreamy smile on his face as he slept. Steve smiled to himself and pressed a gentle kiss to the top of Clint’s head careful not to wake him.

 

_The time Clint fell_

It all was a fairly standard day for the team. They’d be milling about their everyday activities when they got the call that one of the many global threats S.H.I.E.L.D kept tabs on was moving to destroy Los Angeles. They suited up, jetted across the country and got down to business taking out the threat. While Tony worked to disarm the complex computer system that seemed to be controlling the hoard killer robots, Natasha and Steve protected the civilians still in the area and Thor and Hulk did what they do, Clint covered them from a perch several stories up.

Tony managed to disarm the robots before any of the team sustained anything more than superficial  wounds.

“And we are good to go! Call in the clean up squad!” Tony said smugly as they gathered to move back towards the jet.

“I’ll be right down!” Clint called over the com as he began to propel down the side of the building using a grappling arrow head mounted in the edifice of the building he’d been atop. When he was around 2 and a half stories above ground level a crack noise sounded. The team looked up to see that the piece of concrete his arrow was mounted in had pulled away from the building in a large chunk.

Before the team could even register what they were witnessing Steve’s shield was hurtling forward and shattered the falling piece of concrete as he rushed toward Clint as he landed with a loud thud on the ground.

“Hawkeye down, I repeat Hawkeye down!” Natasha’s voice rang over the com. Her voice sounding at once like a crack of thunder and as though she was yelling into water. When Steve got to Clint he was breathing but bleeding from his head.

“Medical team is being deployed, stand by,” Maria’s voice came over the coms. Her concern apparent in her voice.

“Please Clint be OK. Jesus Christ, I need you to be OK!” Steve whimpered kneeling beside Clint.

“They’ll be here soon Cap,” Natasha said solemnly from behind him. Placing a hand on his shoulder in assurance. A loud roar shook the surrounding area as Hulk approached having come when he noticed Clint fall.

“Please Clint. I need you. Please don’t leave me. I love you so much. I never got to tell you how much you mean to me. I can’t lose you.” Steve’s voice wracked with sobs. In the background he could hear Thor’s voice call.

“They are over hear. Please hurry!” His voice more fearful than Steve could ever recall.

As they arrived and loaded Clint onto the stretcher, Steve clutched at his hand and kissed it before letting them assess him. He felt as if all the air in the world had been sucked out. As though he was that small little boy in an alley all those decades ago. He could hear someone whispering in Russian close behind him and he realized Natasha was quietly praying. She grasped his hand as they followed the medical team to the medjet. As they were boarding Steve looked around at the rest of the team. Tony was wiping a tear from his face. Quietly repeating the Ave Maria to himself. Thor’s arm slung around him. His face streaked with dirt and tears.

“Clint is a strong warrior, he see many more battles. I know it in my heart.” Thor called out.

 

_The time Clint woke up_

 

Clint could feel a dull throbbing in the back of his head and down through his back. He tried opening eyes but was met with bright harsh lights. He tried to pull himself forward and felt a sharp pain in his side. Likely a broken rib he thought to himself.

“Clint sit back damn it!” Natasha whispered angrily. “You nearly got yourself killed!”

“How bad is it?” Clint muttered. He figured it couldn’t be too bad because he’d be a lot more out of it if he was on lots of painkillers.

“Third grade concussion, two fractured ribs 16 stitches on the back of your head. You’ll live to scare us to death another day.” She muttered. He found himself wondering why she was being so quiet. Normally in a situation like this she would be louder and there’d be more threats of violence.

“Can you turn the lights down? I wanna open my eyes but it’s so bright in here,” Clint’s voice quiet to match Natasha’s. A moment later Clint opened his eyes to be greeted with the familiar site of a room in the S.H.I.E.L.D medical wing. Grey walls, cold and hard.

He looked around the room and noticed Steve sleeping quietly upright in a chair off in the corner. Even in sleep he looked worried. He was still in uniform covered in dust and grime. His brow knit together tensely and a frown across his face.

“Until we got results back and the doctors had a look we thought you might be done for.” Clint understood why she was whispering. “I’ve never seen Steve that upset. I think you made his PTSD flare up.” She said with a soft chuckle moving to get him a drink of water. “Stark was praying in spanish, Thor cried. Fuck I even broke up some old school Orthodoxy. But if anyone ever mentions it we’ll need to find a replacement for them, a bone saw and some industrial strength garbage bags.”

“I’m sorry,” Clint’s voice was guilty.

“Next time just taking the fucking stairs show off,” She said smiling. “I’m gonna give you a moment alone with Cap.”

He gave her a look of thanks as she left the room quietly. “Steve,” Clint said in a more audible tone hoping to wake the sleeping man. It seemed to work as he jostled awake suddenly. He looked around the room before registering Clint looking back at him. His eyes lit up with a mix of joy and sadness. He stood rushing over to stand by Clint’s bed.

“I thought I’d lost you,” Steve said tears on the brims of his eyes.

“I’m sorry,” Clint replied moving to grasp Steve’s hands.

“Don’t be sorry. Just be more careful next time.” Steve said firmly as he leaned forward and kissed him gently on his forehead.

“Steve?” Clint said his name drawing his attention. “I love you.” Steve’s expression went blank for a moment before a massive smile spread across his face. “I love you too Clint.”

**Author's Note:**

> Natasha prays because in my head I imagine that Clint is the only person she cared about since she was a little girl. The last person being her grandmother who was Russian Orthodox and taught Natasha a prayer for the sick. Tony prays the Ave Maria (Hail Mary) because it is the prayer his mother taught him. He was willing to die to save everyone he loved but the idea of loosing a friend scares him and reminds him of the death of his mother who used to pray in Spanish (Tony's mom is usually written as at least part Hispanic/Spanish). I also hope everyone liked angry Coulson. I liked the idea that Coulson would flip out once he realized that Clint had moved on even though he's the one who left Clint.  
> Hope everyone has enjoyed it! And if you like this pairing please check out my other works, my blog earths-sassiest-heroes dot tumblr dot com and please comment and kudo other works on here in that pairing. The more you encourage the others writing the more likely we are to get more awesome fics!


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